The City That We Love
by Galleon Eye
Summary: Clarinci. (Clarice x Da Vinci) Clarice and Leonardo are both feeling extremely put out by the relationship of Lorenzo and Lucrezia and turn to each other for comfort... Will comfort turn into more?
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, hello there everyone! Just another fanfiction to add to the stupid number I am currently trying and failing to juggle. But hey, ho. I started watching Da Vinci's Demons when it first came out and just OMG LARA PULVER. That is all.**

**Disclaimer: Own nothing. **

**This whole story will be dedicated to adleration for her encouraging me to write it, so without further delay!**

Leonardo Da Vinci is lost in his work. For hours he has been trying to recall and recreate his mother's face on paper, but no matter how hard he tries, he can't seem to do it.

With an anguished grunt he throws another attempt away from him in the form of crumpled paper.

"Artista. Are you well?" Leonardo's head whips round to see Clarice Orsini standing in the doorway to his residence.

"How long have you been there for?" He asked self-consciously, jumping from his cross legged position on the table to pick up the scattered paper.

"I just arrived; Verrocchio told me you were here." She replied, taking a step into the room and looking around with mild interest.

"Why are you here? Running errands for your husband?" Leonardo straightened himself and walked over to her, leaning against the table.

Clarice ignored his comment. "I want you to paint me." She said simply.

Da Vinci looked at her, his eyebrows slightly drawn up.

"I know you have painted my husbands' mistress and though I obviously harbour a strong dislike for the girl, I cannot help but admire the brushwork of the picture. You have captured her perfectly."

Leonardo noticed Clarice's use of the word 'girl' instead of 'woman' as an attempt to make said girl seem inferior to herself.

"It must be hard for you to know such things." He stated, somewhat sympathetically.

"Indeed." Clarice's lips twitched with a grimace for a moment before she regained her composure. "You will obviously be paid a sufficient amount for the job should you accept it."

She knew he would. She knew he too was struggling with the complex relationship of Lorenzo and Lucrezia.

"Yes. I mean, I'll draw you." He replied, nodding slightly, thoughts as to how to go about the task flooding his mind already. What paint would suit her essence best, the pose she should adopt, the size of the canvas, the brushes, the setting.

"I'm glad. Kindly be at the house at eleven tomorrow morning, I will have a servant at the door with your name." She paused, looked down then back up at his face. "Have you ever seen my quarters?" She asked, most innocently. He shook his head in reply and she smiled slightly. "Well you'll see them tomorrow." She stated and turned away. "Until then Artista." She called back over her shoulder as she departed the premises.

The multiple female models gazed after her, perplexed and mesmerised by her beauty. The same went for the man, though there was more a gleam of lust in their eyes.

Leonardo missed all this, turning his attention back to the numerous balls of paper thrown haphazardly around the room.

Zoroaster walked in, pointing behind him in awe.

"What was she doing talking to you?" He asked, his mouth hanging open as he waited for an answer.

"She wants me to draw her." Leonardo replied, standing up and depositing the last of the ruined sketches in the fireplace to be burnt later.

"Yeah, but why you?" Zoroaster asked indignantly.

"Because she appreciates talent?" Da Vinci smirked and hopped back onto the table as his friend came to stand in front of him.

"No. Definitely not." Zoroaster joked, winking mischievously. "I mean, if she wanted talent she'd have come to me."

"Mmm, just keep telling yourself that." Leonardo nodded, feigning seriousness.

"She's not bad looking though. I mean, why would Lorenzo do _that_," he gestured to the unfinished sketches of Lucrezia on one of the shelves behind Da Vinci, "when he already has _that._" He waved his hand in the direction of the door to his right.

"Well who would you choose if you had the opportunity to be with one of them?" Leonardo asked. "I mean don't get your hopes up. Hypothetically of course."

Zoroaster frowned at the man in front of him before running his tongue over his teeth thoughtfully.

"Clarice." He answered finally. "I prefer older women." He winked at Leonardo who shook his head in good humour.

"Zoroaster!" Verrocchio came into view, leaning one hand against the door frame. "You are meant to be painting Vanessa!" he enunciated her name purposefully. "Not _chatting _with Leonardo!" He rolled his eyes and returned to where he had come from.

Zoroaster shrugged and followed him, "What about you?" he asked, turning back around as he reached the door.

"Uh, Lucrezia." He answered; his brow furrowing.

"Hmm, yeah, of course. Just keep telling yourself that mate." Zoroaster grinned teasingly as he hurried after the sound of Verrocchio's scolding voice.

Leonardo twiddled his thumbs, staring at the wall. Zoroaster knew he was in a… well not relationship with Lucrezia, so why would he even ask? The thing that troubled him even more though was the fact that he had hesitated before replying. _Of course it was Lucrezia._ He reaffirmed to himself, nodding to secure his point.

He briefly looked at the door, the last place he had seen _her_. Clarice. He could not deny she was attractive, but he didn't think about her _that way_. Did he? He could see the… appeal, in seducing her. They would both be able to use the act of sex as a way to 'get back' at their partners for being unfaithful. But that was all it would be, he was sure. Sex. Nothing with feelings. Not to start off with anyway. _No,_ he thought, _not ever. _

_Where did all of this even come from?_ He wondered. _Zoroaster_. Of course, he just had to be annoying and put such inappropriate thoughts in his head. He was happy with Lucrezia.

He thought over the last sentence in his head, defining the meaning of happy and decided that it was a lie. Not true in the slightest. He and Lucrezia were not happy. They could be, but her persistence at carrying on with Lorenzo stopped them from being so and this suddenly angered him.

It was her fault her was even considering taking up with another woman. He had been perfectly faithful to her for months, while she was married _and_ had another lover.

He thought for some more, and decided that if Clarice wanted something then he wouldn't stop her.

But then another thought struck him. She had never said she did. Unless you counted the subtle implication of being in her bedroom and even that was a scarce assumption.

Leonardo took a deep breath and stood up. He would see tomorrow.


	2. Chapter 2

**Well, here's your update! Only a couple of days I'm so proud of myself! Please review :3**

The following day, at ten fifty five am, Da Vinci approached the steps of the Medici house slowly.

On his shoulder he carried a straw sack holding various brushes, paints and all manner of equipment he would require. Save for the canvas. Earlier that morning Clarice had sent word she would be supplying it herself.

As Leonardo approached the door, a young servant boy stepped forward.

"Name Senor?" He asked, his voice not quite broken and Leonardo pitied the boy.

"Da Vinci. Leonardo Da Vinci." He replied, looking up at the window where he believed Clarice's residence to be located.

The child consulted a sheet of paper he had pulled from one of the many pockets on his over-sized uniform and upon seeing Leonardo's name said to the man, "Right this way please sir, Senora Orsini is expecting you."

"I know." Da Vinci stated as he followed the boy through the hefty front doors, up the main staircase and through a labyrinth of corridors until they reached what was apparently Clarice's room.

"I leave you now senor." The boy bowed away, before scurrying back the way they had travelled.

Leonardo looked at the door, straightened himself and knocked three times.

"Enter." Clarice's commanding voice resonated through the wood as he opened the door.

The chamber itself was exquisite. Da Vinci was aware that on his journey to this room he had been taken up to additional staircases, but he had failed to realise that her room would be so open.

While the room itself contained an ornate bed and multiple expensive items of furniture, he could see that the back left hand corner of the room opened out onto a room terrace, shaded by various gazebos and separated from the room only by thin, translucent pieces of cloth that floated serenely in the light breeze. The flooring for both sections, he noticed, was white marble and he saw a window to his right that led onto as balcony overlooking the street.

Clarice was not in the room as far as he could see so he followed the faint sound of chatter and music out to the terrace.

An acoustic guitarist was sitting on the edge of a fountain and Clarice lounged on a chaise lounge not too far away. Beside her was an older woman –presumably her maid.

When Clarice saw Leonardo she stood from her position.

"You may leave us." She said, smiling at the other two on the roof who obliged and walked past Da Vinci on their way out.

"Do you have the canvas?" He asked, setting his bag next to her chaise lounge, taking her hand and kissing her knuckles.

"Indeed." She smiled at the polite gesture and motioned towards a large canvas that was leaning against the wall behind her. It was two foot wide and four foot tall. "I thought the size would force Lorenzo to take notice." She said, smiling sadly before regaining her composure and turning back to Leonardo. "That was inappropriate, he is your employer. Do forgive me."

"Of course." Da Vinci nodded before moving and picking up the canvas, pulling an easel out of his bag and setting the canvas upon in. "I was thinking you could be painted on the balcony outside your room, I could angle it from the street." He started unravelling the ideas that had become his the previous evening.

"No." Clarice intercepted, cutting off his steady stream of words. "I you would be kind you will paint me by the fountain. I couldn't have you down on the street painting me. It would look dreadfully odd and I will have no one to entertain me. Most dull." She smiled at him.

Da Vinci's brow furrowed, "Certainly." He was taken aback slightly. No one had ever objected to his ideas before, not even her stubborn husband; he could see she was going to be a challenge.

"Are you alright for me to position you or do you want to do that yourself too?" He joked, rummaging around in his bag as she walked over and sat on the fountain.

"Do as you wish." She said lightly, taking the joke and smirking slightly.

Leonardo stood up, positioned his easel and sucked on the end of his paintbrush thoughtfully as he looked at her.

"Sit angled towards you right, put your hands in your lap and look at," He broke off and spun on his heel to look around, "your bed through the curtain." His brows dipped as she followed his instructions and he nodded, satisfied.

He turned to his easel and started to paint.

A few hours later it began to grow dark.

"I can't see the canvas properly." Leonardo muttered out loud.

"I suppose we had better call it a day then." Clarice said standing and stretching after such a long time in one position. "May I see it?" She asked, a smile playing on her lips.

"I'd prefer for you to see only the finished piece." Leonardo replied, throwing a covering over the canvas save her catching a glimpse.

"I understand." Clarice smiled as she walked back through the curtains, indicating Da Vinci to follow her.

The maids had been in to light the various candles, so the room was even lighter than the terrace outside.

"Would you like a drink?" She asked, sitting on a sofa in front of a low table baring two glasses of wine.

"How can I resist such fine wine?" Da Vinci smirked and sat next to her. They each took a glass.

"To Florence," Said Clarice after a moment of thought. "the city that we love."

"Indeed." Leonardo moved his glass to touch hers and they both took a sip.

"Leo," Clarice started, setting her glass on the table and turning to look at him. "May I call you 'Leo'?" She asked as an afterthought.

"Of course." He downed the rest of his wine and set his own glass next to hers and sat back, looking at her.

"Do you think I am attractive?" She asked honestly, looking deep into his eyes as though trying to read his thoughts.

Since she was being so open, Leonardo opted for the same policy.

"Yes."

"Do you want to kiss me?" She asked; her face had moved closer to his and her lips were slightly parted.

His gaze flickered between her entrancing blue eyes and her soft, supple lips. He slowly reached up a hand and brushed a stray piece of hair behind her ear, his hand lingering on her cheek longer than necessary.

She looked into his eyes thinking how beautiful they were. This was her last thought before his lips brushed against hers softly, feather-like.

She rested a hand on his chest as he pulled her closer to him, deepening the kiss as his tongue asked for access to her mouth. She agreed and pulled herself against him, wrapping her arms around his neck as her lips parted.

"Stay the night." She whispered before their lips joined once again.

**Hope you liked it! I would love to know- do you think their sex would be passionate or gentle? Need ideas for the next chapter! *oh shit spoilers* **


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